Reading Greek Aloud

Although I am not nearly as consistent as I would like to be, one of my favorite parts of the day is reading aloud to my children. It tends to go in streaks as we get into a good book then finish it and go for a while without reading. I enjoy reading books aloud even if it slows down the pace a bit. A recent editorial piece did a wonderful job describing the value of reading out loud. I sometimes get frustrated that I can't read faster but Klinkenborg's article reminded me as do my children "that our idea of reading is incomplete, impoverished, unless we are also taking the time to read aloud."

The book we just finished was "The Lightning Thief." Recommenced by a colleague and her children, we have truly enjoyed this book and look forward to the rest of the series and the upcoming film. I have always felt a major gap in my cultural literacy when it comes to Greek mythology. This book does a wonderful job of introducing classical ideas and characters in a modern setting that makes them fun, memorable, and true to the original. I especially love the idea of the Greek gods following the migration of Western Civilization from Greece, to Rome, then England, and eventually to the United States. I'll look a bit closer for Mt. Olympus floating in the clouds above the Empire State building next time I'm on 34th street. The book also has some great fun with Los Angeles. It won't take much of a nudge from the kids to start book #2 tomorrow.

Where is your soul?

I remember making a clear stand as a middle school student that there were a number of bands I loved to listen to but refused to "worship" as people or individuals. I'd buy their tapes but not their posters. This was a wonderful stand to take as a middle school student who wanted to act and speak like an adult despite the many flaws and contradictions behind my argument. I did struggle to maintain this stance with one band: U2. I remember going to the late viewing of "Rattle an Hum" before the midnight release of "Achtung Baby." When first dating my wife she blew me away by getting her hands on tickets for a U2 concert (the band was impressed with the giant 2 that had been added to the giant U on mountain that overlooks the stadium at the University of Utah). My ipod is red, part of the line of Product Red that raises money for AIDS medication, an organization started in part by Bono. So, my interest was definitely piqued a few weeks ago when I came across this Op-Ed column written by Bono.

The article was both inspiring and thought provoking. I decided to show it to my elective class on global issues. The underlying question about our souls and what really matters most in our lives became a writing option for my students' final papers. As a few papers have trickled in over the last day it has been exciting and uplifting to see how they view themselves and their purpose. Like my middle school opinion on music personalities, there is a bit of posturing in attempt to show maturity but overall I was impressed by the outstanding responses. Their souls are found in every place from the center of mom's lasagna, through journeys found in interactions with other, to the front line of fighting a chronic disease on a very public stage.

I think there are very few people that can completely find their souls at any age. I wouldn't argue that my students have achieved this either. What does impress me though is the sincere effort they have made to seek their passions, interests, and meaning in life. I think about myself at that age, preparing to graduate from high school. I don't' know what surprises me more, how much I didn't know about myself and the world or how much I actually did? I'll probably feel the same way about my current place when I look back in 20 years. I guess that's the real value in soul searching. Not the you could ever really pin it down but, as my students who are lucky enough to be in a place that values self reflection and service, searching for one's soul from time to time helps makes life meaningful and enjoyable.

Anger Response

People react differently when angry. Some are quick to anger while others can stay calm and cool in the worst situation. When angry everyone seems to have their own signature response even if they seem to be pretty collected on the surface. I had a friend from high school that would never lose his temper even when his face had turned fire engine red. I know somebody else that starts writing things down furiously when angered or frustrated. I tend to go for silence in many situations unless it seems others are relying on me to be angry for them. Some people curse and throw things. Others punch holes in walls, slam doors, or commit similiar acts of violent physical response. People sometimes do silly things when angry; I'm thinking of the videos of angry drivers recorded by police dashboard cameras or the viral video of the woman who broke down in the airport after missing a flight.

Even with the most extreme cases in mind I hadn't seen anything that made me chuckle quite as much as the goalie's response to being scored on in this clip. It is a beautuful move by the attacker to get the ball back onto his right foot and then send it home but I never would have guessed the goalie would respond with such anger by.....pulling up his shorts in such an indignant way. Really, he gives the most expressive garment adjustment I've ever seen.

Actually, wouldn't the world be a better place if this is how we all expressed anger. No more cursing, hitting, shouting, or holes in the wall. Just yank on your belt a bit and everyone would know that you need some space.

Henning Mankell's Wallander on PBS

I just read a very promising New York Times review of the PBS Masterpiece Mystery production of Wallander. I am very excited to watch the first episode tonight. I have only read a couple of the Henning Mankell books which introduce the detective, played in this series by Kenneth Branagh, but have loved what I read. A gritty, troubled, and thoughtful detective.....yes, it sounds like you've heard this before... but Wallander lives and works in rural Sweden. Great stuff!!!

Of course, I have to DVR it so I can watch the finale of the Amazing Race. I'll be happy with any of the final teams winning at this point. I just hope it is an exciting finish.

Nerd on the Run

Exercise is not a part of my routine. I played a lot of basketball, soccer, and other physical games when I was young but as an adult have become relatively, uhm....sedate. I enjoyed playing soccer every Friday night this winter and by the end of the season found my muscle recovery time decreased from three days to three hours. Yes, I was actually limping around on Monday's after my first few sessions of Friday night soccer. What I really need though is to get into a good running routine. I have had some success in the past but never a sustained effort. Running has done much more to increase my array of ipod accessories than it has to decrease my belt size.


The problem is that I get much more of an adreniline rush from finishing a book, article, or other such task than I do for getting to 30 minutes of running, hitting a certain mile mark, or beating my time. After I move I might try to get into some sort of competitive sport where I thrive a bit more like soccer, racquetball, and I've always wanted to try curling (really, I love watching curling and can't wait to try it someday...another reason for the title of this post). But for now I have tried to invigorate my running effort with a new arsenal of podcasts that will provide a bit of the exhileration of reading with the boredome of running. Here is what I am enjoying:

-Wait, wait, don't tell me (funniest thing on the radio)

-NPR education podcast (good stuff, I just listened to an interview with Arne Duncan)

-Stuff you should know (How do credit default swaps work? How Deja Vu works?, etc....)

-Stuff you missed in history class (podcasts on Joan of Arc, Manhattan traded for nutmeg, etc...)

This aproach is a bit unorthodox, a bit like the growing sport of chess boxing. If I'm not fitter, faster, or slimmer next time you see me at least I'll be a bit smarter. I consider it my mind-body exercise insurance policy.

Bliss

Am I happy?

That's a tough question. Not because I'm unhappy but because it can mean so many things. I finished "The Geography of Bliss" today. The same day as Michael J Fox's television special on optimism and the appearance of a New York Times article about Bhutan's policy of Gross National Happiness (GNH). Both remind me of a recent presentation at school on positive psychology and another school I've been working with that is implementing this type of research into their program.

Even without the fact that happiness seems to be chasing me today, Eric Weiner's journey around the world has got me thinking about happiness, joy, bliss, or whatever else you want to call it. Weiner travelled the world examining happiness. He chose his destinations in part by hitting the highs and lows on a list of countries' perceived levels of happiness. These ratings are based primarily on surveys given in each country. At first it seems a bit unreliable judge a country's happiness by just asking someone to pick a number on scale. But if doctors can trust patients to judge the severity of pain by picking a number on a scale with a happy face on one side and a frowny face on the other maybe this works too. I'm also reminded of Transparency International, an organization that measures corruption in various countries with surveys of perceived corruption. Seems a bit unreliable at first until you consider the alternative, "excuse me senator, could you tell me how many bribes you accepted last year?"

Weiner is careful not to prescribe a specific path to achieving bliss or pinpoint its location but his travels do offer some good advice. In short, I think he would agree that happiness is a lot more about people than places. Countries that provided a society where people know and trust their neighbors seem to be a lot happier, regardless of many other factors. In fact, these other factors can vary significantly. Weiner would probably challenge Tolstoy's suggestion that all happy families are alike. They exist in the dark cold winter of Iceland, the straight faces of the Swiss, the humblest hovels of India, the mountains of Bhutan, the desert of Qatar, and even a few in the "unhappiest" country of all: Moldova.


Back to my initial question. I have a daughter who begs me to read with her, another who smiles on cue, and a son with an imagination vibrant enough to put Dr. Henry Jones in the cockpit of a TIE Fighter. My wife is supportive, creative, and beautiful an every way. My students laugh at my stupid jokes and my colleagues trust my opinions. I have neighbors who tell us when we've left the car windows up in the rain and gather spontaneously at the smell of charcoal from any one's porch. So, despite the fact that it has rained every day for two weeks, I sometimes have to check the bank account before buying groceries, and I am trying not to panic about a new job and cross country move, yes, I'm happy. Very happy.

Update: Not more than two hours after posting this I came across an interview with Phil Keoghan, host of the Amazing Race who has travelled the world seeking adreniline pulsing adventure. When asked about his favorite place on earth he responded with "anywhere I'm with the people I love." Nice confirmation from the host of my favorite show.